Neo-Eagleism
Neo-Eagleism is a politico-religious ideology that emerged primarily in House Aquila and former Aquilan territories in the decades following the Blood Eagle’s death. Neo-Eagleism beliefs often include totalitarianism, militarism, indoctrination, deification of the Blood Eagle, capital punishment for ordinary crimes, autarky, revanchism, and sometimes conspiracist ideation. Most neo-eagleist groups are classified as cults due to their ideology’s defining belief in worshiping the Blood Eagle as the one true Messiah. History The term “neo-eagleism” was first coined by the Lyran philosopher, Tehuti Lyra Froth Filimer in 2991. Tehuti Froth had traveled to Diomikato to study and observe House Aquila’s societal reformation following the civil war, and was generally pleased with their self-chastisement; however, he soon began noticing regressive movement within the house especially among the Loyalist generation and their descendants. Out of concern due to the lack of action, Froth personally sent two letters in ‘91 and a third in ‘92 warning the Convocation about the dangers of these forming ideologies. Included in these letters was a complete breakdown of the political science involved with radical politics and the steps to be taken when dealing with them. The 2980s saw the start of these soon-to-be recognized neo-eagleist movements, with the widespread dissemination of conspiracy theories and the organization of groups such as the Imperial Restoration Initiative. These early groups were largely ignored by the rest of House Aquila even as they saw continual growth in supporters over the decade. These formative years were considerably less political and were focused primarily on the reverence of the Blood Eagle. Offerings at statues and temples as well as pilgrimages to sites considered spiritually and historically important to the late empress became common occurrences for these fledgling ideologists. By the 2990s, neo-eagleism had solidified into the ideology it is today. Neo-Eagleists were becoming more vocal within Aquilan political circles and had even managed to gain power within the Convocation by forming the now defunct Renasterii party. At the same time, thanks to Tehuti Froth’s letters, more diligent members of the Convocation began voicing their concerns over such a development, leading to tension within the government. Tensions clashed in 2994 after a failed attempt by the Renasterii to edit the Oath of Mortale Fide to include the line, “In the eyes of the Empress,” at the beginning of the final stanza. The proposal was shot down by opponents which led to a furious debate on the acceptability of the Blood Eagle within House Aquila; then after two days, the Renasterii further escalated the situation with a declaration to reinstate the title of Generalisimo and thus a return to the dictatorship. Now truly understanding the threat to their republic, members of Et Scutum forsook forum etiquette and engaged members of the Renasterii in a brawl - this would be the first and one of the only times a physical altercation occurred within the Grand Forum. Praetorian Guards broke up the fighting but not before several convocation members were seriously injured. After the forum brawl came to an end, the Decemviri - which had only one neo-eagleist praetor - ordered the Praetorians to detain all members of the Renasterii. Neo-Eagleist protests followed what many saw as an overreach of convocational authority and as their demands for release were ignored many groups turned violent. Riots and terror attacks, the most infamous of which were often conducted by the Imperial Restoration Initiative, became common as neo-eagleists saw their chance to undermine the Convocation. Many in House Aquila feared another civil war should the dissenters be allowed to further increase their power base within the Imperial Legions. This fear was perpetuated over the following year until it culminated in a large scale political crackdown. The remaining years of the 2990s became an era of political scare after the Convocation voted to outlaw neo-eagleist ideology. The detained Renasterii were officially arrested and charged with sedition, treason, and even heresy. At the same time, the Quaestionarius were given unregulated authority to investigate any member of Aquila in order to root out dissidents - a power they still hold to this day. Suspicion was cast upon many Aquilans, and many feared to speak incorrectly, but ultimately the crackdown worked. The most overt cultists were imprisoned and those who evaded the authorities were forced underground. The original debate had been answered: the Blood Eagle would no longer acceptable within House Aquila. To this end all her iconography would be outlawed as the Convocation believed that without her imagery, people would have a more difficult time idolizing the late empress. Everything depicting or associated with her image was collected and destroyed - save for a few pieces which were locked away within an undisclosed vault for historical preservation. To this day only one physical image of the Blood Eagle remains public: a portrait hung within the Grand Temple on Andophael. In the centuries since the scare, neo-eagleism has become a fringe ideology usually found only in scattered, underground cults. Rarely do these cults gather enough strength to threaten Aquilan society - an exception being the Children of the Blood Eagle whom have clashed with the Umbra Protocol on multiple occasions - but even still, Aquilan authorities actively watch for any signs of resurgence. Today there are Aquilans who have grown up never knowing what the Blood Eagle looked like or even what her name was, instead they are simply taught that she was the antithesis of everything the House stands for and that anyone suspected of neo-eagleism should be reported immediately. List of Cults and other Groups Neo-Eagleism has since become a dying ideology with most cults that still exist today being insubstantial to society. But of the many cults that have risen and collapsed since neo-eagleism was first conceptualized, a noteworthy few have gained enough influence to remain active on a larger scale or to at least leave a lasting impact. Renasterii Founded in 2992 as one of the first and at the time most well known neo-eagleist groups, the Renasterri was a political party within the Convocation of Mars. The actions of the Renasterii party, including an attempt to restore House Aquila’s dictatorship, would cause a near decade long political crackdown. The party would only truly exist for two years before being outlawed along with the entire neo-eaglism ideology. Though short lived, the fallout from their actions have left a lasting impact upon House Aquila. Imperial Restoration Initiative Another early neo-eagleist group, founded in the late 2980s, the Imperial Restoration Initiative (IRI) was once a terrorist organization that sought to restore the “True Empire.” Their terror attacks were infamous well into the early 3000s until ideology changes saw them move away from the campaign of terror. These ideological changes would continue in the following centuries until, by the time of the War Against the Artificials, the IRI had completely removed themselves of most neo-eagleist beliefs. Today, the Imperial Restoration Initiative is recognized as a more legitimate political organization though some within House Aquila remain skeptic. Children of the Blood Eagle The Children of the Blood Eagle (CoBE) are one of the most notorious cults even among fellow neo-eagleists. Believed to be the earliest neo-eagleist group created, members of CoBE claim that their cult was founded even before the Blood Eagle’s death by an unnamed advisor. CoBE has historically been one of the most active cults in House Aquila and across the sector, waging shadow wars with other cults and even with the Imperial Legion’s Umbra Protocol. The New Dawn Formed by the late and former Lieutenant General, Elionor Ginard, in 2961 after her incarceration, the New Dawn is a prison gang operating in Imperial Corrections Facility Gleipnir. Unlike most other neo-eagleist groups, the New Dawn emerged independently from the movements first recognized by Tehuti Lyra Froth, and in fact the gang was not identified as a cult of neo-eaglism until well after Ginard’s death. Though Ginard has since become a prophet within the New Dawn, not all gang members follow neo-eagleism so firmly and instead have been known to curtail the gang’s more fanatic members so as to draw less attention to their normal gangbanging operations. Bulletin Au6 Bulletin Au6 (pronounced as auspice) is an online message board first launched in 3078. Since its inception, Bulletin Au6 has been used to foster conspiracy culture and promote neo-eagleism among its anonymous user base. Many conspiracy theories involving the Blood Eagle have started on Au6 before being disseminated elsewhere. Eventually the message board would catch the attention of the Quaestionarius Corps, who would twice shut down their server operations on Diomikato before Au6 were forced to relocate outside of the Aliya system. Fellowship of Our Messiah in Blest Blood The Fellowship of Our Messiah in Blest Blood are most well known for being solely driven in preserving the Ari bloodline, of which they staunchly claim to have living descendents despite the fact the Ari bloodline ended with the Blood Eagle’s death. While one of the more traditional cults, the Fellowship is also one of the more withdrawn ones as well, with little public disturbance over the course of their existence. To them the Blood Eagle has been the only true Messiah of the Empire, and for any other to take her place they must carry Ari blood. Whether or not they will ever act on this belief has yet to be seen. Illegal Symbolism Since the political scare of the 2990s, all iconography related to the Blood Eagle has been outlawed to varying degrees within House Aquila. There have been inquiries into codifying their illegality into Imperial Law but as of yet they remain limited to the Local Law of House Aquila. First Degree Ban Symbols categorized under the first degree ban are strictly forbidden under all circumstances. Such symbols include the Double-headed Eagle which was official insignia of the Blood Eagle, the Twofold Aleph which was a monogram of her initials and a common symbol during her reign, the emblem of the Renasterii, depictions of the Blood Eagle's likeness in any media or art form, the laurel crown which is forbidden to be recreated or worn, and miscellaneous propaganda pieces used and created by Conséc. Second Degree Ban Symbols categorized under the second degree ban are forbidden in most circumstances but are allowed in certain capacities such as in common speech or for historical replication. Such symbols include her signature which can only be viewed on preserved documents such as on the original outline of the Imperial Legions, the ILS ''Eagle's Talon ''which can be visited, but no ship is allowed to bear its name or ID numbers, red capes which are forbidden to be worn but can still be viewed in historical pieces, and the emblem of the Imperial Aerie which can still be viewed on preserved documents. Third Degree Ban Symbols categorized under the third degree ban are few, but those that do exist are not strictly forbidden in most cases. The third degree ban is often considered less an official statute and more of a cultural expectation. Such symbols include the Blood Eagle's name which, though technically banned from being used on newborns, can still be viewed, spoken, or even written but is severely frowned upon to do so. Another symbol is that of the Red Devil which is acceptable in Aquilan culture unless it is in replication of the iconography sometimes used in Blood Eagle era propaganda. Category:House Aquila Category:Cult